This post is dedicated to Bernard for a message he sent about “living in the moment” after he read my week 15 MKMMA blog about Living in the Now.

The topic of living in the now was covered in the journal Psychology Today in an article by Ian Newby Clark published in April of 2008 and as stated in the article has been researched by Sonja Lyubomirsky, from the University of California at Riverside and author of a book titled “The How of Happiness”.

Living is the now, is described as mindfulness, enjoying what is happening now even if it is a commute to work on a crowded train during a bus strike. Find something to enjoy within the moment. Is there anything, right that instant, that is wrong? No. The whole situation upsets you if you dwell upon it but not the instant of existence you are living.

What is there to savor in a crowded train? You might like to assist me with some great ideas and send in a comment. What occurs to me is that you are alive and that in itself is wonderful when you dwell upon it. You are alive … breathe in … breathe out. Live in the moment.

Are you tired, stressed, depressed, missing a loved one or on the receiving end of bad news?

Become aware of the moment concentrate on your breath, you are alive nothing else exists but now. The First Law of the Mind, the law of substitution, states that we cannot think about two things at the same time. If you wish to improve yourself to become less stressed and less worrisome, learn mindfulness.

Now is the right time to improve yourself

The dichotomy is that you cannot have mindfulness as something you will achieve. This is because to think about mindfulness as something you want places it, mindfulness, in the future, NOT IN THE NOW.

The trick is to just be in the moment. Live this moment and be blessed.

Mindfulness is what Buddhists describe as recognising the “spark before the flame”.

Did you hear the one about the Buddhist devotee who spent 20 years in prayer and meditation? Upon leaving the monastery he was asked. “What have you learned in the time you have been within the monastery?” Immediately his reply came forth. “I have learned that I breathe”, he said.

Are you reading this post to see if it is possible to improve yourself through Master KeyMMA (MKMMA), Master Key System using the power of the mind?

This post has taken some time in seeing the light of day. The thoughts expressed were something I was pondering on as far back as March 8th when I wrote brief notes in my daily action book on the power of thought.

Power of the Mind the Power of Thought

Not only is it possible through reading and teachings of Charles Haanel’s “The Master Key System” but we can refer back to other great men and sages who were also on the same path. For instance there is the quote below from Gandhi

Gandhi on The Secret power of the Mind

“Every moment of your life is infinitely creative and the Universe is endlessly bountiful. Just put forth a clear enough request, and everything your heart desires must come to you.” Mohandas Gandhi

or the following from Buddha;

“To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.”~Buddha

The Power of Thought by Buddha

Another saying attributed to Gautama Buddha is “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”

Power of Thought

Both Gandhi and Buddha refer to the fact that we can create ourselves, improve yourself through the power of thought or what some people like to refer to as the secret Power of the Mind.

Were Gandhi and Haanel aware of Buddha’s thoughts 2,500 years ago? If you have an opinion on that write a comment as I don’t know the answer.

Charles Haanel’s entire treatise “The Master Key System” is about the “Secret Power of the Mind“. Week after week there are discussions on the ability of an individual to learn to think correctly to improve yourself, to create your own life of circumstance through the power of thought.

For example, “In this way conditions are produced and we find that our lives are simply the reflection of our predominant thoughts, our mental attitude; … “ from week 21 para 9 or from week 22 the introduction “.. you will find that thoughts are spiritual seeds, when when planted in the subconscious mind, have a tendency to sprout and grow, …” and there is more.

Week 22 para 5 from Haanel, “It is through the law of vibration that the mind exercises this control over the body.”

Week 23 para 4 Haanel again, “The forces of life are volatile; they are composed of our thoughts and ideals and these in turn are moulded into form; …”

Week 24 para 5, “When you come to know that every form of disease, sickness, lack and limitation are simply the result of wrong thinking, you will have come to know “the Truth which shall make you free.””

Week 24 para 14, “But remember that thought is creative … “

Does it matter to a student that discovers a teacher of “The Secret Power of the Mind” where the teachings come from? I think not. What is of consequence is that if you wish to improve yourself, truly change your thinking and develop life altering habits then the Mark Januszewski, MKMMA course is the real deal.

Take the Opportunity to Improve Yourself

If you get a chance give it your wholehearted effort. Don’t just think you will give it a try; put your body, mind and spirit into your effort to improve yourself.

“Are you doing Network Marketing or MLM correctly?” This is the question I asked myself as I attempted to teach myself how to build a group of people capable of duplicating a MLM training and sponsoring system.

For such a long time I had heard from upline experts that it was “Just a numbers game.” or “You just haven’t heard enough NOs yet to find a YES.”

If it were just a numbers game “Why weren’t these people on annual incomes of 7 figures?”

As a career medical scientist, who had trained people for over 30 years, I just didn’t believe what I was hearing. I knew that for myself if I asked the question “What do I need to do to improve yourself?” The answer was education, training and skills. Precisely the way I had taken anyone new to my profession and produced competent, self assured individuals in an industry where a mistake meant serious consequences to patient’s lives.

Finally I found an individual who provided a system that rang true on how to learn network marketing skills and for anyone looking to improve yourself in MLM.

My guest blogger this week is Mark Januszewski on the fallacy of “Its Just a Numbers Game” and on “Free tips on how to Learn Network Marketing Skills and Improve Yourself.”

Well I feel like a new person. Almost impossible to say how many times this course has renewed me. Last week I wrote: “One thing I also learned as I picked my DMP apart and trialled it was that I stirred up the emotional neuropeptides more if the action or thought was first and the feeling or emotion followed.”

Now without fail every time I repeat my definite major purpose that encompasses my primary pivotal needs I feel invigorated. The neuropeptides are surging up and down as I give voice to my definite major purpose.

Each time I recite an action followed by the emotion or feeling there is a buzz going on. I want to, I need to the the do the exercise more than at any other time during the course.

If you want to improve yourself you have to change at a subconscious level. There has to be subconscious reprogramming happening for a permanent improvement.

Weekend motivational seminars to gear you up for change, and are all very well but you receive a short impetus not a long term solution.

If you are reading anything about the Master Key Master Mind Alliance (MKMMA) course and wish to improve yourself, the exercises and philosophy taught in the classes are the way to a permanent change.

The way I think and act now is amazing and is proving to be complete and lasting.

Let the Journey Forever be Unfolding.

My recommended MKMMA blog for this week is Delaine Keith’s post on one aspect of the Power of Thought, why passive thought can be harmful to a positive mental attitude.

For more than a few weeks now I have been concerned that my Definite Major Purpose (DMP) has not been able to get the juices or neuropeptides flowing throughout my body.

“Why? What is wrong?” “Am I verbalising with passion?” Yes! So where have I fallen off the rail.

I heard Mark Januszewski speak about DMP adjustments a fair while back and I hadn’t been in strife then. So what was the problem? I examined my PPNs, primary pivotal needs and they were still my driving force. So what was the problem?

Was I loosing my secret power of the mind?

Then whilst reading my “The Master Key System” by Charles Haanel something, a thought, started to form in my mind but I couldn’t grab hold of it. My subconscious was trying to get through to the conscious level.

Two weeks ago members of our MKMMA class, Diane Norris and Kathy Zimmer gave two magnificient education sessions as part of our training. Diane Norris spoke on Leadership Attributes. Kathy spoke on network marketing success and success through a positive mental attitude.

One of the things I heard from Kathy Zimmer was that often we need to hear new ideas 7 different ways, 7 different times from 7 different people before we learn something.

I picked up on what Kathy said and went back and reviewed week 20 of The Master Key System. As I read, my mind brought forth the idea my subconscious had known for some time. My silence was broken …. the room filled with the sound of triumphant horns … lightning flashed within my brain … neuropeptides suffused my cranial integrity, new neural networks were formed … a solution to my dilemma.

Alive with Subconscious reprogramming

Reading week 20 paragraph 17 of The Master key System gave me this: “An understanding of these facts, first intellectually and then emotionally, will enable us to drink deeply from this ocean of infinite power. An intellectual understanding will be of no assistance; the emotions must be brought into action; thought without feeling is cold. The require combination is thought and feeling.”

When I began MKMMA, I was truly of a different mind. I was riddled with pain. Now thanks to the MKMMA course, the Law of Attraction and my changed view on life. I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious and HAPPY!!!

Reviewing my DMP, from December of 2010, I realised that although there was emotive language such as pride, happiness, strength, alive, excitement and energy other emotions in my DMP that had served me well were no longer appropriate. Words and phrases abounded in my DMP such as “content & without burden”, “continuous inner peace”, “grateful and complete”.

Joe Shinstock on Definite Major Purpose

One thing I also learned as I picked my DMP apart and trialled it was that I stirred up the emotional neuropeptides more if the action or thought was first and the feeling or emotion followed.

I was no longer the person of September 2010 when I first composed that DMP. The MKMMA course had taught me daily exercises, shown me readings to perform daily and allowed me to share amongst a community of like minded people. I was different ….. no longer in pain, thinking positively about my life, confident to pursue my dreams and equipped with skills to achieve them.

Actions and outcomes are now followed by feelings and emotions. There are now more emotions, additions such as thrilled, estatic, elation, filled with life and giving thanks to God.

Wonder of wonders as I read my DMP with emotion and feeling I could feel the difference. Those neuropeptides were back.

Wilma Woodson has a really nice summary of the types of exercises we are using in the MKMMA course to achieve subconscious reprogramming.

Greet each day with love in your heart. ~ Og Mandino

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. ~ Luke 11:9-12

For a colourful read and a personal video on subconscious reprogramming visit Dale Reynolds and her week 20 blog.

Improve Yourself through Personal Growth and Development these are the goals of the participants in this Master Key MMA course. Based on the Master Key System by Charles Haanel this week has us contemplating the nexus between fear, power or as Haanel writes “vital force”. Haanel states “although we do not know what it is, and possibly may never know, we do know that it is a primary force which manifests through living bodies, and that by complying with the laws and principles by which it is governed, we can open ourselves to a more abundant inflow of this vital energy, and thus express the highest possible degree of mental, moral and spiritual efficiency.

Silent thought is, after all, the mightiest agent in human affairs.

~ William Ellery Channing

How do we make use of these words to attain personal growth, development and the acquisition of power. We know that through the mind and the individual’s ability to think and produce thoughts, actions are taken. Actions create our world from the matter around us.

Our thoughts are eternally taking form. If your thoughts are powerful, affirming and supporting so to will be our health, personal relationships and life in general. However, if we allow ourselves to have weak, critical and undermining thoughts the manifestation in our lives will be fear, illness and a manifestation of lack.

The power of thought has revealed the Laws of the Universe. Is this not Power?

The Power of Thought

What then is Fear but a state lacking in Power. Fear is a paralysis of action. Is this not similar to The Law of Substitution that we, the participants in this Master Key System about Charles Haanel’s book have written on before? Concentrating on the attraction of power prevents the possibility of fear.

Use the Law of Growth “What we think about grows”, think about power in all of it’s forms, mental power, physical power, moral and spiritual power. Using the exercise of power development, how can one not improve yourself? Use your quiet time to acquire your power through concentration on the vital force that you have and wish to grow.

Growth through the Universal Mind

With the acquisition of Power there is nothing that you will fear. Tasks that you have set for your personal development and growth will be insignificant. For you have attained the power of the universe’s vital force.

In my readings from the works of Neale Donald Walsch this week I am reminded of this statement and how appropriate it is within the Master Key System. The discussion is on what is your highest vision of yourself. “Now, having seen the differences between where you are and where you want to be, begin to change — consciously change — your thoughts, words, and actions to match your grandest vision.”

For a good read in the MKMMA group about our journey together please have a look at and read Wilma Woodson’s week 19 blog.

In my last post, week 17HJ The Hero’s Journey, I was taking the leap into the unknown. I still do not know where I have landed but I will let you know soon.

Meanwhile as I attempt the Hero’s journey I would like to reflect on how I got here.

Many Rooms with Doors to Open

Originally my wife pointed out some great content posted in a member’s forum of her Network marketing business. Well, I thought I’d check out his site at The World’s Laziest Networker, interesting site name I thought. Liked what I read on the site. Thought I’ve probably got the time to do this and assist Robyn with some network marketing tips that I might pick up and provide her with some home business help. As I poked around in Mark Januszewski’s site I wondered what all these scholarships thingies were about.

Well, I put my name down on a list. I wonder when the bite will come for money I thought. However I find out I can’t listen to the required web training sessions.

Mark "The World's Laziest Networker"

We were due to be on an overseas holiday and to paraphrase my wife’s words in those of Mark Januszewski “I had to keep the main thing the main thing”. In our case enjoy the holiday.

Mark’s webinars were oversubscribed and I may have missed out anyway. Then OMG I got an email telling me that I was accepted and not to sweat it. Was this my first experience of the Law of Attraction? Additionally, because I only had good thoughts and expectations about what I was to experience was it my first experience of the Law of Substitution, although I didn’t know it then.

The time then started to fill in with course requirements, Sunday night webinars from the other side of the world that I participated in on a Monday afternoon. Along the way I was picking up network marketing tips, ideas on leadership attributes and personal growth.

As I read “The Master Key System” by Charles F Haanel and “The Greatest Salesman in the World” by Og Mandino, all part of the course work, I thought this was an “improve yourself” course like no other. We were going into the science of changing our subconscious thoughts, it all made sense at an objective and intrinsic level.

During the first few weeks when I realised the entirety of this Master Key Master Mind Alliance, MKMMA course I asked myself. What more could be involved to improve yourself? I had to find the answer myself. The realisation was that I had to go beyond my personal thoughts and become involved with an online community of MKMMAers.

Improve Yourself : What will the Journey hold for You?

In this community we were all laying it out for all to see, I began tentatively to reach out to people and form relationships, we encouraged each other through Twitter, Facebook, Skype and comments on our blogs. Then we formed Master Mind groups for our success in life. Yet, there was also grief at the loss of one of our Master Mind group from the course due to outside commitments in life.

Friends of mine think it a big deal that 200 odd people follow me on Twitter. Yet I have learned that is miniscule compared to friends, such as Jim McGregor, the only other Australian doing the Master Key MMA course.

Did you hear the one about two Aussies on a Master Key MMA Journey?

By the way ………… Mark continues to offer all his knowledge at no cost, never was the proverbial bite applied.

The Truth Will Set You Free

Pat starts off with a great critical comment about Haanel and his “Law of Sevens”: it certainly gave me a chuckle.

The rest of Pat Petrini’s blog is a great synopsis for anyone in network marketing. The basic premise of the blog is getting honesty from your contacts or prospects in the form of up front contracts (UFC).

Not week 18 but week 17 HJ. Mark Januszewski our course mentor understands the machinations that are going on in the students heads at each stage of our journey to change and enrich our lives.

The Master Key System by Charles F Haanel is so important that Mark decided to give us two weeks contemplation on the weekly content. Week 17 is pivotal even in Haanel’s own writings. “The student who masters the contents of Part Seventeen will not mistake the symbols for the reality;he (she) will be interested in causes, rather than effects. He (she) will concentrate on the realities of life, and will then not be disappointed in the results.”

We are now confronting our demons, our fears, our subconscious programming. Can we let go of our old ways and embrace the new, take the jump into the abyss and discover the new self that awaits us all. Can we, are we embracing all our daily mind exercises and our readings to enrich our new selves?

At the Precipice! Taking the Next Step?

Part 6 of week 17 states: “..concentration leads to intuitive perception and immediate insight into the nature of the object concentrated upon.” Additionally in part 8 “Subconscious desire arouses the latent faculties of mind, and difficult problems seem to solve themselves.”

For myself these last 7 days I have been unable to sleep, which is unusual. I find my dreams are muddled and unclear but related to the Master Key MMA course. This unease is similar to my dreams of the course experienced in week 4. Eventually whilst reading the content of week 17 from “The Master Key System” by Charles F Haanel it occurred to me after listening to Mark that I had reached a personal precipice. Would I? Can I make the changes necessary? These changes are required to reprogram my old self. The disquiet I feel is my old programming hanging on. Subconsciously I am finding change difficult. Mark’s advice is to become completely absorbed in the exercises of the MKMMA class and allow the changes to happen.

Having figured out what is holding me back I have asked Debbie Delassio, from my Master Mind group to hold me accountable to the tasks required. I shall inform you of my jump into the unknown when I reach the bottom or on reaching the other side.

For this week have a read of another Master Key MMA participant who lays it all out on the table, visit Vikki Lawson’s blog to see how this course is challenging the core of our subconscious.

One of our tasks recently has been to emulate a task that Benjamin Franklin wrote about in hisbiography which he himself called “Memoirs”, although published after his death under a different title. Franklin listed 13 virtues, our task is to find these virtues in others or examples in what goes on around us in our lives.

We are to pick a virtue for the week and see how many times we can see that virtue each day. Luckily, our virtues are different from Franklin, thankfully so perhaps. For as Mark Twain commented in his essay “The Late Benjamin Franklin” (1870) claiming that Franklin and his list of virtues had “brought affliction to millions of boys since, whose fathers had read Franklin’s pernicious biography.”

Mark Januszewski has given us a list of virtues that areto be listed in numerical order relating to which we are in greatest need of improvement. These virtues are Courage, Kindness, Imagination, Persistence, Self Control, Decisiveness, Organisation skills, Cooperation, Pleasing Personality. Taking Initiative, Enthusiasm, Specialised knowledge and to See God in others.

As I review these virtues to decide upon my own list, I realise I will need every single virtue in some degree in order to succeed in the network marketing business, to become as Og Mandino title says in another text we are studying “The Greatest Salesman in the World”.

I find these virtues in others and in doing so recognise that virtue in myself, an exercise in reinforcement. An exercise in acknowledgment and self examination.

This course in Master Key Master Mind Alliance is so well planned, full of exercises that continue to assist me to grow.

My recommended read for a MasterKeyMMA week 17 blog this week is Dale Reynolds her post is also a good insight on what we are all experiencing.